Scriptwriter
Rod Serling had intended the June 3, 1960,
Twilight Zone episode as the pilot for a TV series starring
Burgess Meredith, but when Meredith balked, the title role was recast with
Orson Bean. A natural-born eccentric and misfit, James B.W. Bevis somehow or other warrants the special attention of guardian angel J. Hardy Hempstead (
Henry Jones). After briefly tasting success for the first time in his life, however, Bevis decides that he was happier when he was a loser. TV-series perennials
Charles Lane,
William Schallert,
Horace McMahon, and
Vito Scotti make brief appearances. Though "Mr. Bevis" did not graduate to a weekly series, Serling recycled the premise for his 1962
Twilight Zone episode "Cavender Is Coming" -- and, to a lesser extent, for the second-season installment "Mr. Dingle the Strong." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide